The school from which the university grew was founded in 1743, making it one of the oldest in the nation. However, UD was not chartered as an institution of higher learning until 1833. Its original class of ten students included George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith, all three of whom would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence.

The University of Delaware traces its founding to 1743, when Presbyterian minister Francis Alison opened up his "Free School" in his home in New London, Pennsylvania.[citation needed] The school changed its name and location several times, ending up as the Academy of Newark in 1769 (chartered by the colonial government). Since Delaware was part of the Pennsylvania colony until 1776, the academy was denied charter as a college in order to prevent its competing with the University of Pennsylvania[citation needed] (then known as the College of Philadelphia). In 1833, the Delaware General Assembly passed "An Act to Establish a College at Newark", and the next year, Newark College opened. It changed its name in 1843 to Delaware College and it merged with the Academy of Newark. The school closed from 1859 until 1870 (Newark Academy separated from the college in 1869). It reopened in 1870 due to the support of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts.[9] On March 28, 1921, by another act of state assembly, it merged with the nearby Delaware Women's college (founded in 1913) to form the University.

On October 23, 2009 the University of Delaware signed an agreement with Chrysler to purchase a 272-acre (1.10 km2) closed vehicle assembly plant adjacent to the University for expansion for $24.25 million as part of Chrysler's bankruptcy restructuring plan.[10] Plans call for this facility to be repurposed into a "world-class research facility".[11] Initial plans include the new home of the College of Health Science and the east coast headquarters of Bloom Energy.[12]

In 2010–2011, the University conducted a feasibility study in support of plans to add a law school focused on corporate and patent law.[13] At its completion, the study suggested that the planned addition was not within the University's funding capability given the nation's economic climate at the time.[13] Capital expenses were projected at $100 million, and the operating deficit in the first ten years would be $165 million. The study assumed an initial class of two hundred students entering in the fall of 2015.[13]Widener University has Delaware's only law school as of 2011.[13]

School of Education (part of the College of Education & Human Development)

School of Marine Science and Policy (part of the College of Earth, Ocean & Environment)

School of Public Policy and Administration (part of the College of Arts & Sciences)

Accelerated Programs also allow students to earn both bachelor's and master's degrees within a five-year period. Opportunities in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy exist to acquire a bachelor's in leadership and a master's in public administration. Students may also pursue a bachelor's degree in hotel management and a master's in business administration through a "4+1+1" program where students work for one year between the undergraduate and graduate experiences. Students in the College of Engineering can pursue a bachelor's degree in one of the University's engineering disciplines and a master's in business administration.

The Medical Scholars Program is an opportunity for students who wish to pursue careers in the medical profession. Successful participation in the Medical Scholars Program leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Delaware and the M.D. degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.

The Ronald McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is an initiative to prepare low-income, first generation college students and underrepresented students of African American, Latino, and Native American descent for doctoral study. Since its inception at Delaware, the program boasts a 100% placement rate of its scholars in graduate programs across the country.[citation needed]

The doctoral program is ranked among the best in the U.S. according to U.S. News & World Report and the United States National Research Council. The top ranking programs are in engineering, physical therapy, education, business, city management, mathematics and public affairs. The National Research Council has ranked the civil & environmental engineering doctoral program #17 in terms of research activity in 2010.[22]

The department of animal sciences was ranked 7, plant sciences was ranked 8, chemical engineering was ranked 8, information science was 6, criminal justice and criminology was 10 in the US in faculty scholarly productivity, in 2007.[23] In 2006, horticulture program was ranked 5, soil science was ranked 10, kinesiology and exercise science was ranked 10 in the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index.[24]

In addition, the physical therapy program was ranked #2, the chemistry program was ranked #60, education was ranked #30, criminology was ranked #16, and the City Management and Urban Policy was ranked #12 by the U.S. News & World Report in 2012.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the colleges. The second annual BusinessWeek review of the "Best Undergraduate B-Schools" ranked UD's Lerner College of Business and Economics 29th among the nation's top 58 public university programs and 61st among the 500 schools earning international accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.[25]

The college offers Baccalaureate degrees in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, International Business and Operations Management and Minors in Advertising, Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurial Studies, International Business, and Management Information Systems. A Certificate in Business Fundamentals is also offered to non-business majors. As of July 2008, the department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management was moved from the College of Education and Public Policy to Lerner College. Lerner College also offers a degree in Sports Management, which moved from the College of Health Sciences in July 2010.

In 2014, UD's Business School (Lerner) Full-Time MBA program has been ranked 80 in the nation by US News. In 2008 the Lerner College was ranked 60th in the nation in Businessweek's Best Undergraduate Business Schools.[27] In 2009 it was ranked 6th in the Mid-Atlantic region for its part-time MBA program and 38th in the nation for its part-time program.[citation needed]

As of Fall 2014, University of Delaware offers Ph.D. in Financial Services Analytics (FSAN). The Ph.D. in FSAN is a cross-disciplinary program offered by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware, and was funded in part by a grant from JPMorgan Chase. The program is the first of its kind and will take a lead in shaping and defining the research area of Financial Services Analytics.[28][29]

Through the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware students can choose from a vast array of concentrations. They can choose from programs in visual and performing arts, social sciences, natural sciences and many more.[30]

The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE), is made up of the Department of Geography, the Department of Geological Sciences, and the School of Marine Science and Policy. There are four programs in the School of Marine Science and Policy: Marine Biosciences, Oceanography, Physical Ocean Science and Engineering, and Marine Policy. The college offers over nine undergraduate majors and fourteen graduate degrees.[31]

Undergraduate science majors at UD have the opportunity to apply for the CEOE's Semester-in-Residence Program, in which students live and work at the Lewes campus which is located on the Delaware Bay. The Lewes campus has many advanced marine research facilities and is home to UD's R/V Hugh R. Sharp, a 146-foot, state-of-the-art coastal research vessel that operates as a member of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).[32] Students work on a research project guided by a faculty member in addition to taking "introductory graduate level classes".[33] Additionally, any undergraduate student in the United States who is enrolled in a bachelor's degree program may apply for the college's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.

The college also offers may undergraduate study abroad opportunities to places such as New Zealand, Mexico, Bonaire, Fiji, Barbados, Austria, and London.[34]

In 2006, UD's engineering program was ranked number 10 in the nation by The Princeton Review. The U.S. News & World Report ranked the engineering graduate program as #45 in 2010 and #56 in 2012. In 2009-2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked the chemical engineering program 10th among undergraduate programs and 9th among graduate programs (2009-2012). In other engineering specialties, U.S. News & World Report in 2012 ranked graduate program in civil engineering as #54, mechanical engineering as #51, environmental engineering as #38, and materials science engineering as #45.

Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory

The College of Engineering is home to six academic departments and three degree programs focused on challenges associated with sustainability, energy, health care and the environment. The faculty includes 30 named professors, six National Academy of Engineers members, 36 NSF career award winners and 11 University teaching award recipients. Initiatives led by college faculty include 14 college-based research centers and six university-based research centers. Annual research expenditures exceeded $55M this past year, representing over 40 percent of total University research dollars. The new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (ISE Lab) brings 194,000 sq. ft. of new research and teaching space to the campus.[35] Additionally, the University's planned Science and Technology Campus will expand university-based research and shared research undertaken with corporate partners. Strategic partnerships with industry, government and academic institutions complement these initiatives, expanding the college's reputation and reach, and cultivating a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership and entrepreneurship among future engineers.

The Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) at the University of Delaware is the oldest solar energy research institute in the world. It was established by Karl Boer in 1972 to pioneer research on thin film solar cells and today is one of the only laboratories in the world with expertise in Si, CdTe, and CuInSe2 based solar cells. Recently the IEC was the number one recipient of the DOE Sunshot Initiative and was awarded 5 grants totaling $9.1 million to research next generation solar cells to reduce the cost of solar cells by 75% by the end of the decade.[36]

The Disaster Research Center, or DRC, was the first social science research center in the world devoted to the study of disasters. It was established at Ohio State University in 1963 and moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. The Center conducts field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. DRC researchers have carried out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, and plane crashes. DRC has also done research on civil disturbances and riots, including the 1992 Los Angeles unrest. Staff have conducted nearly 700 field studies since the Center's inception, traveling to communities throughout the United States and internationally, including Mexico, Canada, Japan, Italy, and Turkey. Core faculty members are from the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the School of Public Policy and Administration. The staff also includes postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduates and research support personnel.

The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, or DBI, was organized as an academic unit of the University of Delaware in 1999 and moved into dedicated research facilities in 2001. DBI supports a statewide partnership of higher education, industry, medical, and government communities committed to the discovery and application of interdiscplinary knowledge in biotechnology and the life sciences. With some 180 people resident in the DBI facilities, including 20–25 faculty members representing 12 departments, 140 graduate and post-graduate students, and 20 professional staff members, DBI emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach to life-science research. The core research areas pursued by DBI-affiliated faculty include agriculture, human health, marine environmental genomics, biomaterials, and computational biology/bioinformatics. Research in these and other areas is done in collaboration with faculty at Delaware State University, Delaware Technical and Community College, Wesley College, Christiana Care Health System, and Nemours Hospital for Children. One of the primary objectives of the Institute is to provide state-of-the-art research equipment to facilitate life science research and six core instrumentation centers and specialized facilities, each under the direction of an experienced researcher or administrator, is supported at DBI and made available to University researchers.

The Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) launched October 23, 2009. DENIN is charged with conducting research and promoting and coordinating knowledge partnerships that integrate environmental science, engineering and policy.[37]

The student body at the University of Delaware is largely an undergraduate population. The University offers over 135 undergraduate degrees and, due to the number of academic options, many students complete dual degrees as well as double majors and minors. Delaware students have access to work and internship opportunities, world-wide study abroad programs, research and service learning programs.

Several buildings (Wolf, Sussex, and Harter Halls) were designed by Frank Miles Day who also designed the formal campus landscape. From 1918 to 1952, Marian Cruger Coffin was appointed the University's landscape architect, a position which required her to unite the university's two separate campuses (the men's to the north and the women's to the south) into one cohesive design.[42] This was a challenge since the linear mall design of each was out of alignment with the other. Coffin solved this problem by linking them with a circle instead of curving the straight paths (Morris Library faces this circle today) which rendered the misalignment unnoticeable to the pedestrian.[43]

The recent history of the university has been marked by massive construction projects. North, or Laird, Campus, formerly home to the Pencader Complex, has been entirely redesigned and renamed Independence Complex. This began with the construction of a Marriott Courtyard run by the HRIM (Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management) department. Three new residence hall buildings have also been built and named after the three University alumni who signed the Declaration of Independence, George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith (who signed for Pennsylvania). The third Delaware signer, Caesar Rodney, already had a residence hall complex named after him on West Campus. A fourth residence hall opened for the Fall of 2008, was named Independence Hall; the building is split into East and West wings.[44]

New academic buildings have also been constructed recently. The David and Louise Roselle Center For The Arts, with new facilities for the school's music and theater programs, was opened in 2006. Also in 2006, Jastak-Burgess Hall opened, now home to the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. In 1998, Gore Hall opened on the Green and connects to Smith Hall via an overpass on South College Avenue. In 2012, construction began on the US$71 million East Campus Residence Hall Complex, construction being done by Skanska USA and the design by the Delaware local firm ABHA Architects.[45] Other recent construction projects include Alfred Lerner Hall (for business) and renovations to DuPont Hall by Allan Greenberg, Wolf Hall, and Memorial Hall.

As noted in the Introduction, the University receives funding from a variety of sources as a consequence of its historical origins. Among those sources is the State of Delaware operating budget. In 2006, the proportion of the University's funding coming from this source was 18.6%.[48] As of 2011[update], this proportion has decreased to 11.9% as a result of decreasing appropriations.[48]

The University of Delaware was the first American university to begin a study abroad program, which was later adopted by many other institutions.[49] The program began when Professor Raymond Watson Kirkbride took a group of 9 students to Paris, France during the fall semester of 1923. Since this initial trip, the University of Delaware has expanded its study abroad program, which now encompasses over 80 different programs in more than 40 subjects to over 45 countries on all seven continents making it one of the largest programs in the country. As of 2006–2007, approximately 45% of all Delaware undergraduate students take advantage of study abroad experiences prior to completing their baccalaureate degrees.

Delaware's study abroad program offers many options for students. Undergraduates have the option of studying abroad for a five-week winter or summer session, or an entire semester.

The athletic teams at Delaware are known as the Fightin' Blue Hens with a mascot named YoUDee. YoUDee is a Blue Hen Chicken, after the team names and the state bird of Delaware. YoUDee was the 2002 UCA National Mascot Champion, was elected into the mascot hall of fame in 2006, and was the 2009 UCA Open Division Mascot National Champion.

UD offers 21 varsity sports, which compete in the NCAADivision-I (FCS for football). Delaware is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in all sports. Delaware was a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference in football until the 2006 season. Football is the most popular and most successful sport at Delaware.[citation needed] The Fighting Blue Hens football teams have won six national titles, including the 2003 NCAA I-AA Championship. In 2007, the Delaware Blue Hens were the runners up in the NCAA I-AA National Championship game, but were defeated by (defending champions) Appalachian State. In 2010, the Delaware Blue Hens were again runners up in the National Championship game, losing to Eastern Washington 20–19 after being up 19–0 earlier in the game.

Former head football coaches Bill Murray, Dave Nelson and Harold "Tubby" Raymond are College Football Hall of Fame inductees. Delaware is one of only two schools to have three straight head coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Georgia Tech is the other).[50] Delaware's only other NCAA National Championship came in 1983 for Women's Division I Lacrosse.[51]

The Blue Hens have won eleven CAA Championships since joining in 2001: one for the women's 2004 field hockey team, the 2007-2010-2011 men's lacrosse teams, the 2014 men's basketball team, the 2005-2012-2013 women's basketball teams, the 2007 women's volleyball team, the 2012 men's soccer team, and the 2010 football team (shared with William & Mary). (Unofficially, the women's rowing team has won the CAA title four times since 2001, placing second the other two times.) The 2007 men's lacrosse program reached the final four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its history.

On March 7, 2012, the Division 1 men's ice hockey team won the ACHA National Championship. UD defeated Oakland University 5–1, capturing its first title.

"The Delaware Fight Song" first appeared in the Student Handbook in 1933.[52] It was composed by alumnus George F. Kelly (Class of 1915).

In November 2007, it was announced that the University of Delaware and Delaware State University would have their first game against each other, the game being in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The game was played on November 23, with University of Delaware winning 44–7.[53] Delaware has won all of the regular season match-ups, which have been called the Route 1 Rivalry. Future contests are scheduled for 2013–2014.

The University of Delaware has a variety of musical performance opportunities available to students, including a wind ensemble, orchestra, symphonic band. There are also a number of jazz groups available, including two large ensembles, and a smaller group that focus on improvisation. All ensembles are open by audition to all students at the university, and can be taken either for credit or for no credit. The school also has a steel drum ensemble, and an early music ensemble. There are also a variety of choral ensembles, including the University of Delaware Chorale, an all-women's choir, and three choirs, also open to community members, that constitute the Schola Cantorum. The music department's home is the Amy E. du Pont Music Building, named for Amy Elizabeth du Pont, a prominent benefactor of the University during the 20th century.

In addition, the University of Delaware is known for having one of the best marching bands on the east coast, the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hen Marching Band. The band ranges from 300 to 350 members every year and can be seen performing at every home football game as well as at various festivals and competitions, including the Collegiate Marching Band Festival in Allentown, PA. Additionally, the marching band was selected to perform in the 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade in 2009.[54]

In 2006, the new Center for the Arts building opened. This building has a number of recital halls and a large number of practice rooms, most with upright pianos. The practice rooms are locked and cannot be used by students who are not music majors or in an official UD ensemble. The university employs a tiered access system, with larger rooms and rooms with grand pianos being reserved for certain groups of students. In addition the music department also uses their old building, with offices, classrooms, practice rooms, and recital halls. This building has public-access practice rooms with pianos.

In 2005, the University of Delaware Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Paul D. Head and accompanied by Betsy Kent, were invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association's International Convention in Los Angeles. In April 2007, the Chorale won the Grand Prix at the Tallinn International Choral Festival in Estonia, having scored higher than 40 other choirs from around the world. In 2010 the Chorale competed in two categories of the 42nd Annual Tolosa Choral Competition in Tolosa, Spain; They received a Bronze and a Silver award. UD-16, a chamber ensemble of Chorale also competed in Tolosa in two categories and won two Silver awards. In the Summer of 2012 the Chorale was the only American College Choir to be invited to the International Society for Music Education Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece; the UD Steele Ensemble was also invited. On that same tour, the chorale placed in a close 2nd at the Grand Prix of the 25th Bela Bartok International Choral Competition. In 2000, the music department purchased an 18th-century Ceruti violin for professor and virtuoso violinist Xiang Gao. This investment of nearly $300,000 USD has more than tripled in value. Recently Prof. Gao has been granted use of a Stradivarius Violin.

The University also has a student run radio station, 91.3 WVUD, as well as several a capella groups including one all-female, one all-male, and five mixed groups.

As of the fall of 2011, tuition for in-state residents will be US$11,192, while out-of-state students will pay US$27,462.[48] This is a substantial increase (9.6% for in-state and 8.1% for out-of-state) versus 2010 tuition.[48]

There are currently four student publications at Delaware: The Review, DEconstruction Magazine, UDress, and "The Main Street Journal.

The Review is a weekly publication, released in print and online on Tuesdays. It is an independent publication and receives no financial support from the university. It is distributed at several locations across campus, including Morris Library, the Perkins Student Center and the Trabant University Center, as well as various academic buildings and the dining halls. The Review's office is located at 250 Perkins Student Center, facing Academy Street, and is above the offices of WVUD. In 2004, it was a National Newspaper Pacemaker Award Finalist, and was also named one of the ten best non-daily college newspapers by the Associated Collegiate Press.[55] It currently has a print circulation of 10,000.

In 2002, DEconstruction Magazine was formed "to create a forum for student writing that fell outside of journalism or creative writing. Traditionally, DEconstruction focused on an editorial style of writing to discuss everything from politics to pop culture."[56]

UDress magazine is the on-campus fashion magazine which publishes one issue per semester, in conjuncture with fashion events.

The Mainstreet Journal focuses on creative writing.

The student-run, non-commercial, educational radio station at Delaware broadcasts on 91.3 and uses the call lettersWVUD, which the University purchased from the University of Dayton in the 1980s. Although not its intended call letter pronunciation, 'VUD has taken on the slogan "the Voice of the University of Delaware." They are licensed by the city of Newark, Delaware and broadcasts with a power of 1,000 watts 24 hours a day with its offices and studios located in the Perkins Student Center.[57]

The transmitting facilities are located atop the Christiana East Tower residence hall. WVUD is operated by University of Delaware students, a University staff of two, and community members. No prior radio experience is necessary, nor is there a need to enroll in any certain major to become a part of WVUD. The radio station has a variety of programming, featuring both music and talk formats.

Another student magazine, aUDio, was announced in Fall 2007. They aim to be "the University of Delaware's first online music magazine."[58] To celebrate their launch, there was a concert on November 29, 2007, in the Trabant University Center.[citation needed]

STN is the student-run, non-commercial, educational television station at the University of Delaware. The station broadcasts second-run movies, original student produced content as well as live sports coverage. The initials, STN, originally stood for Shane Thomas Network, later changed to Student Television Network.[59]

Approximately 17% of the University of Delaware's student population is affiliated with a fraternity or sorority.[60] There are over 26 fraternities and 20 sororities (chapters & colonies) in the Interfraternity Council (IFC), National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), and Multicultural Greek Congress (MGC). They all coordinate via the Greek Council. All Greek organizations participate in an accreditation process called the Chapter Assessment Program (CAP).[61] CAP ratings award chapters with either a Gold, Silver, Bronze, Satisfactory or Needs Improvement designation. This system is an expansion from the Five Star program of the late 1990s, requiring contributions to community service, philanthropy, university events, diversity education, professional education, a chapter/colony GPA greater than or equal to the all men's or all women's average, and attendance and compliance with numerous other criteria.

A campus website claims that a 1993 study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that high-risk drinking at UD exceeded the national norm. On this survey, a majority of students reported binge drinking more than once in a two-week interval. The average consumption for students was nine drinks per week, while 29% reported that they drink on 10 or more occasions per month. Ironically, UD students were found to be more aware of policies, prevention programs, and enforcement risks than the national average.[62]

In 2005, on the Newark campus of the university 1140 students were picked up by the campus police for alcohol-related violations. Of these, 120 led to arrests. These figures are up from previous years, 1062 in 2004 and 1026 in 2003.[63] This represents approximately 6% of the student population.[64]

UD has expended considerable effort and financial resources to reduce the drinking problem on campus. In 1991 UD founded the Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies. One of the center's major initiatives is a collaborative plan to reduce irresponsible drinking at UD, called "A Matter of Degree".[65][not in citation given] Since fall 2006, incoming freshman have to complete an online course, AlcoholEdu.

At least one student organization has undertaken the goal of "providing fun activities for those who chose not to drink" and to "promote the idea that one doesn't need alcohol to have a good time."[66]

In 2008, a University of Delaware freshman died of alcohol poisoning after attending a party hosted by members of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, where the student was pledging.[67]

The University has agreed to lease 43 acres on the STAR campus to The Data Centers (TDC) for the construction of the data center. The data center plan includes a combined heat cycle plant that will be capable of generating 279 megawatts of energy.[68] TDC claims that the power plant is critical to ensuring an uninterrupted electrical power supply to the facility, which is critical for data integrity. The TDC business plan also calls for sale of excess electricity. Portions of the Newark community have questioned the business plan, claiming that the power plant is not an auxiliary part of the data center but a separate industrial use, which would violate the zoning of the STAR campus.[69]

On April 28, 2014, the City of Newark Board of Adjustment upheld its April 19, 2014 ruling that the power plant is an accessory to the data center and that no rezoning was required.[70] The ruling is presently under appeal and The Data Center is proceeding with air permitting. The University of Delaware's Sustainability Task Force sent an open letter to President Harker citing concerns that the project violates the University's strategic plan and Climate Action Plan.[71] On May 4, 2014, the University Faculty Senate voted 43 to 0 (with 8 abstentions) to recommend to the administration that it not allow construction of The Data Center on UD's STAR campus if The Data Center includes any fossil-fuel-burning power plant.[72][73]